Inactivation Ceremony

Saturday December 1, 2012

USS Enterprise CVN 65

 

Last weekend we attended the inactivation ceremony for the Enterprise.

Chief has been on board this ship for 3 deployments.

His first was April 2001 to October 2001.

Enterprise was the first ship on station after the attacks on Sept 11th 2001.

Followed by two other deployments.

January 2011 to June 2011

March 2012 to October 2012

 

 

Farwinds and Following Sea's CVN 65.



USS Enterprise

We got a special surprise this week.

Chief's aircraft carrier pulled into port at one of the bases close to us.

 Not only did we get to spend the afternoon with him but he took us on a tour of the carrier.

The Enterprise is the oldest carrier in the fleet and will be decommisioned in January of 2013.

 The girls really enjoyed seeing where daddy works when he goes away to "the boat."

He showed them his rack {bed}, the Cheif's mess where he eats and of course the flight deck where all the action takes place.

It was my first time EVER on a carrier.

It was also my first EVER in 11 yrs of being a military wife

getting to pick up my sailor at the pier.



CPO Mess

Med Cruise 2011

deployments....

Well, they suck! {sorry it's the truth no sugar coating here}

We had to say good bye to our Chief yesterday for 6 months. The girls {and me} were ok until it was time for him to get on the plane. I was really surprised to see Spice who's a daddy's girl take it so well. Sugar took it so much harder than I thought she would. Poor girl was beside herself and refused to leave the terminal until she saw her daddy get on that plane. Then she became upset because she thought that he didn't see her waving to him as he started up the steps to the airplane. Talk about heart wrenching! It was one of those moments as a parent that you wished you could shield them from, just make it all go away.

I just keep reminding myself how sweet the day will be when he comes home AND how happy those girls will be to see their daddy. I know that nothing can take the place in their hearts of the pride they feel even as little girls to know their daddy does such an important job. Sugar is always telling people, "My daddy is a Chief."

So even though the seperation is hard and sometimes seems unending we are proud of our Sailor and happy to keep the home fires burning while he's away. We ask you to pray for his safety as well as all the other service members that are currently deployed for our freedom and for their families.

I am proud to be a United States Navy Wife!

Khaki Ball 2010

Exciting Things are happening for me.....

Back in Sept. when Chief (my hubby) returned from the ship I had interviewed for the command Ombudsman position. It took them a while to get back to me about it. I was not selected for that position but they offered me the President position of the Family Readiness Group. I didn't know what it was so I googled it (what would we do without google) I'd be in charge of having get together's while the command is deployed. It's for the families. I'd do fundraisers for us to have money to have parties for the kids. My wheels started to turn and I've come up with some great idea's of things to do. I spoke with the Command Master Chief after pre deployment brief this week to let her know I was interested and to find out a few other things. We need to appoint a Vice President, Treasurer, and a Secretary.

I'm really excited about being a part of this. I'll admit I was a little disappointed that I didn't get the Ombudsman position but it is a lot of responsibility. I'm still involved being in this group. And my kids get the benefit of making new friends and doing a lot of fun things in the process.

CPO Pinning Ceremony

Let the games begin.......

That is what they are calling induction process for the Chief Selects now. DH flew home on the helo on Thurs. We picked him up after Sugar got out of school. As soon as we were loaded up we had to see about his schedule for "the games." He was barely home an hour and it already started. I'm just glad that most of his induction took place on the ship. The girls and I haven't had to endure much of this. I'm trying to stay positive by reminding myself that.

He had to get at 02:30 am yesterday. But came home to go with me to take Sugar to school, since he was gone he hadn't been able to do that. And it was his first time to go up to the school.

It was an early night for him last night. He was home before 7:00 pm. He went to get some of his new uniforms before coming home. It's going to take me a while to get use to seeing him wearing Khaki's.

This morning he is helping do some fundraiser stuff.

CPO

Congratulations to my hubby one of the newest Chief Petty Officer Selects of the United States Navy.

He has worked really hard for this promotion and I am very excited for him.

Baby it's cold outside!

I woke up this morning to 27 degrees. That's cold for the sunshine state. But I do like it, only I wish it would have been 27 degrees on Christmas day, somehow upper 70's doesn't feel very Christmasy to me.

It's been another crazy week here. I have been trying to get my house picked up since we will have company tomorrow. Only that it looks like after I pick up that I never did a thing. I don't have much left to do today, bathrooms and just a little decluttering.

We are headed to the library this morning for Storytime. It's been a while since we went. I just hope Avery is pleasant today. Because yesterday in the grocery store she was a NIGHTMARE, she screamed and cried the entire time. Which lead me to forgetting about half of what was on my list so now I have to make another run to the store after the library since one of the things I forgot was a main ingredient for dinner tomorrow night.

Josh took the chief's exam today. I am so ready for all of this to be done with, he has taken it for the last 3 years with no results. I guess for me the most frusterating thing is that he passes the exam but hasn't been selected for chief. We have 8 months waiting to find out, add in picking orders and it makes things complicated, very stressful.

We also just found out that there will be no more coast to coast moves due to funding. That should make ordering picking for the next duty station a long easier for Josh.

That's the lastest at our house. Have a great day!

Vereran's Day

Thank you for all those you serve.

Past and Present

chief results and orders

I haven't felt much like blogging. We found out on Friday that Josh did not make chief this year. Which means that he will be leaving in March for Kuwait for a 12 month tour. He received his written orders yesterday.

I didn't want him to take these orders. He applied for them once and was turned down. Then had a Master Chief and one of the Officers in the command talk to his detailer to make a deal for him to get them. Needless to say I am not happy about it.

Yesterday, after he called me and told me about the orders and time frames as to when he was leaving. I started thinking about what will happen in those months that he will be gone. He leaves in Feb for a month of training. Avery will turn 2. In June Aynslee turns 4 and in the fall she will start school. Avery will be 3 before he comes home. He will miss her 2nd and 3rd birthday. It just breaks my heart to know he 's going to miss so much of their lives. And that it was his choice to do this, he could have taken orders somewhere else so we could have stayed together. Even if it was sea duty orders it wouldn't have all been at once like this. Thirteen months......

So ya'll will have to forgive me if it's quiet around here at one day in the life of me for a little while. Just trying to process all this and figure out the best way to deal with it all. We have 6 months to prepare but that feels like agony just knowing it's coming.

Exciting news for our Good Friends

We received some exciting news yesterday. One of Josh's closet friends that is currently serving an IA tour in Afganistain was just promoted to Senior Cheif, Congratulations!!!! ADCS, We are so thrilled for him and his family. And Congratulations to the Navy's news 2nd Class Petty Officer, AT2.


***********************************

It's been quiet around here, nothing exciting going on. Josh was suppose to have an early day to start the holiday weekend but someone got a DUI at his command and they are holding an all hands captains mass this afternoon. This guy will probably get kicked out of the Navy for it. They don't take to kindly to people when they get DUI's. Especially when the command has a program set up just for that with someone to call if you've had a few to drink and need a ride.


We are hoping we can get out this weekend for a date to see, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I love Indy movies, next to the Star Wars movies they are my favorite and in my opinion the best movies ever made.

Have to cut this short. I need to get the garbage out by the curb it's that day of the week.

He passed!

I got a call from Josh this morning before the girls and I had gotten out of bed. We were all awake. He made board and got a really great score on the exam for chief. So now the waiting begins again. It's going to be a ruff few months living with him until we find out in A.U.G.U.S.T if he was selected for chief. Don't get me wrong I am thrilled he passed his test. But it leaves us in limbo with his orders even if he picks something and gets them. Making chief could mean that he won't be able to fill them since he has to choose as an AM1 but would report as an AMC it's a totally different billet.

I will keep you posted.

Orders

Josh is currently up for new orders. He has a 9 month window to pick before he had to transfer. He is now in his window and applied for new orders a few weeks ago. These orders we both really wanted for him. It would be closer to home and no sea duty until 2010 which is when he'd be transfering so possibly no cruises for another 3 years. We have to stay where we are because of the drop in the housing market we will loss way to much on the house and won't break even. He found out yesterday that he did not get them. He's been promised by several people that he is going to this command but we both feel like we shouldn't take their word for it until we see the actual orders on paper. So he found another set of sea duty orders which would be at the base closer to us and we have a friend their now. He will probably apply for those but we have to wait another 3-4 weeks before we know anything. It's all frusterating and scary because we just don't know if he will get them. We really don't want to move right now. Not to mention we should be hearing if he passed the chief's exam soon. He he makes chief this year this could also effect his orders but we won't know anything until August so even if he picks orders and gets them it's possible that he won't be able to go to that command unless they will find him another billit to fill for a chief. This is were faith and prayer comes into play big time. I just don't have much patience so it's becoming very stressful for me. Josh is OCD about it ends up driving me nuts with the worry and pessimesitc (sp) additude he has sometimes. I'll let you all know when we hear back on these orders. Keep your fingers crossed for him and some prayers wouldn't hurt either.

Guess What?

Last night was Josh's, "Holiday Party" for his command. They hand out end of the year awards at the party. Josh received the, " Senior Enlisted Shore Sailor of the Year." We are very excited and I am very proud of him.

What does this mean? For a year I get to park in the special parking spot at the commissary. This will also aid him when he goes up for Chief next year.

Chief results

We found out last week that Josh did not make chief this time around. He will start the process again in January.

He really feels like it was because he's missing 2 things in his files. 1) safe for flight, qualification. 2) Lead Petty Officer while underway.

I think some college classes would help too. But he's really focused on getting these other things done, that he doesn't want to take the time to take any classes. He told me once he makes chief he has plans to take some classes.

His previous Senior Chief told him he wanted see him make chief before he leaves the command next year. There is talk of putting him over a detachment that trains new personnel to the command for their detachments that will go out to sea. He'd be over 40+ people. Josh mentioned that the number of people he's over has a big thing to do with making it. Right now in Quality Assurance he's only over about a dozen or so personnel.

I know it's not a matter of if he makes it's when he makes it. I just hated to see him disappointed again this year.